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Tag Archives: eating vegan in Los Angeles

I think I’ve found my calling.

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Eating…

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& traveling…

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& eating some MORE!

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Eating healthy, that is

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(New TV show perhaps? I’m looking at you Food Network!)

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A couple of weeks ago, the boyfriend and I took a quick trip to California to visit some family who live right outside of Los Angeles. I had never been to the West Coast before so I was looking forward to experiencing the warm weather and the laid back Cali lifestyle à la Katy Perry, KUWTK, Real Housewives, and The Hills (I know, I know…go on–judge me!). Yet, even though I had the chance to (window) shop along Rodeo Drive, catch a glimpse of the famous Hollywood sign, and experience the fabulous-ness of Beverly Hills–for me, the most exciting part of the trip was something different…

So what was my fav thing about this little getaway?

THE FOOD OF COURSE!

Duh

Los Angeles is known for much more than its sexy beach bodies, high-profile celebrity residents, extravagant movie sets, and TV studios. Los Angeles also happens to be one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the United States! (Other cities include Austin, TX, Portland, OR, New York City, NY, Chicago, IL, Seattle, WA, Salt Lake City, UT, Las Vegas, NV, Boulder, CO, and Richmond, VA– according to PETA). So–naturally–as soon as we booked our flights I began Googling vegan restaurants in the area.

For once I finally knew that keeping in line with my plant-based diet while traveling would be a piece of (vegan) cake!

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(Oh, and spending my early mornings running around the city in nothing but shorts and a tank top in mid-January was a pretty sweet bonus too ).

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This was perhaps the first time I’ve gone away and felt completely nourished and healthy and didn’t suffer any travel-induced tummy troubles– large in part thanks to my Kimberly Snyder probiotics (for those of you who have been wondering, I highly recommend you give them a try–they’re worth every penny). So, rather than bore you with my itinerary day by day, I thought I’d keep this post short and sweet and give you what you really want…PHOTOS! Yes, you better believe I Instagrammed my little heart out all the way through every Cali breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and restaurant. I apologize in advance for any poor image quality– all of these photos were taken with my iPhone! And of course (as always), if you have any questions about my trips, or if you want some tips and tricks for easy vegan traveling, please comment, email, Instagram, or Tweet me! I LOVE hearing from my prettyfitlifers .

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This became my typical Cali breakfast-- tea, fruit, and peanut butter on a rice cake (best enjoyed on an outdoor patio overlooking the water ).

A shot from our first vegan lunch stop! We ventured to Veggie Grill-- a vegan/vegetarian-friendly, fast-food-type chain (think Panera). I got some roasted root veggies and a side of sesame kale. The boyfriend ordered fish tacos (see background) and loved them. ee wasn't quite up for a vegan challenge yet! Don't worry...he'll get there!

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The kale needed a little extra somethin' somethin'-- so I asked for a side of creamy ginger-tahini sauce. Perfect.

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YES!!! WE MADE IT TO GLOW BIO! (The amazing organic café/restaurant created by the one and only--my idol-- Kimberly Snyder!). You might just catch one of her celebrity clients hanging around the café or drinking a Glowing Green Smoothie if you're lucky .

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Of course I couldn't decide what to order. Everything looked amazing! Finally, I settled on a veggie and quinoa teff wrap (teff is a supremely healthy, gluten-free grain with amazing health benefits-- it's full of B-vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants). I've been avoiding gluten and heavy carbohydrates for a few weeks now and I feel incredible. Still, I often crave some substantial (yet healthy) carbs and this wrap was JUST what I needed. Oh. And obviously I had to order a "Glowing Green Smoothie" on the side-- even the boyfriend drank some!

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The boyfriend also tested out Kimberly's "Raw, Vegan, Taco, Gorilla Wraps" -- made with walnuts, cumin, coriander, salsa, tamari, chili powder, and collard greens. UM...YUM?? I deemed we were splitting our meals as soon as I had one bite of this incredible creation. The recipe is straight out of her Beauty Detox Foods book and you can bet I'll be replicating it myself!

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After a day of walking around Long Beach later that week, the boyfriend and I needed some quick eats. We found a cozy Lebanese restaurant and ordered some appetizers to nibble on. This spicy hummus was particularly divine.

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I also ordered a side of spicy roasted veggies-- I prefer dipping vegetables in hummus instead of filling up on empty pita bread calories.

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This was by far my favorite visit of the trip! Native Foods Cafe is the premier chef-crafted vegan restaurant in the Cali area. It has attracted praise from publications like VegNews, USA Today and Zagat (among others!). The boyfriend and his dad were kind enough to take me here on my birthday on our last day in California.

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Native Foods Cafe has been around for over 20 years! So cool. They also have an incredible selection of infused waters and iced teas-- I mixed some citrus green tea with watermelon fresca. So tasty!

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It was super hot out the day we went to lunch here, so I ordered the Ensalada Azteca Salad-- a cool and refreshing bowl of crunchy veggie goodness. I enjoyed my meal so much I mayyyyy or may not have begged the cashier to open a Native Foods Cafe back in Boston . Someday? Please??

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Here's a close-up shot of my delicious lunch. The currants and pepitas were an excellent touch!

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Here's the boyfriend's amazing looking meal-- he wasn't so amazing upon first glance at the menu however (I could see a small wave of panic hit his face as he scanned through the lunch options). I don't think he quite realized that this was truly a 100% VEGAN restaurant. With words like tofu, seitan, quinoa, and "Native Chicken" in every dish, I had a feeling he was regretting the suggestion. In the end however, he was a true sport and tried something new--tempeh tacos slathered in guacamole, cilantro, fresh veggies, and a creamy chipotle sauce. And you'll NEVER believe what happened...HE LOVED IT! In fact, as soon as we got home to Boston, he ran out to buy all the ingredients and made himself tempeh tacos for dinner 3 days in a row--Vegan. Win.

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My boyfriend's Dad is a little more adventurous when it comes to vegan eats (he had been here before). He enjoyed a Greek Gyro Earth Bowl over quinoa and topped it off with peppered seitan, hummus, and a lemon-garlic sauce. Yum!

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Okay...so it had to be done. I mean, COME ON! How could I turn down a big ol' bowl of these babies. These sweet potato fries were delectable--a hint of cinnamon really rounded out the overall sweetness of the dish.

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Shot of the interior: The café looks simple but don't let that fool you-- the food is anything but.

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The Native Foods Cafe is in a unique little location-- it's centered among a little village of shops that pride themselves on offering organic/sustainable items. This little boutique is actually an organic nail salon! I didn't have time to stop for a quick mani, but I'd love to stop by the next time I visit.

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This Vietnamese restaurant was right across from Native Foods Cafe. I love the natural look of the patio seating area. When I have a chance to go back to California, I want to test it out for sure.

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Right around the corner from Native Foods is a funky looking wine bar and restaurant-- check out those wine bottle chandeliers! Future craft project...?

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LOVE this idea! All of the restaurants in this little green community put their menus in their respective mailboxes. No more walking all over creation to find a restaurant that everyone agrees on .

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I ADORE this-- a beautiful quote written on store-front stairs across from Native Foods Cafe.

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The sun wasn't cooperating, but I love this wooden sign "road map."

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For dinner every night the boys fired up the grill to cook up some meat and other manly things, but I didn't mind--this meant I had the full reign of the kitchen! My dinners in California tended to be a slightly different version of the same meal in order to keep things quick and easy. I'd start by roasting a big pan of spicy garlic veggies (peppers, onions, mushroom, zucchini, summer squash etc...) drizzled with teriyaki sauce and tossed atop a salad with a dollop of hummus instead of dressing. Add a small scoop of rice on the side and voilà! dinner is complete. For this particular meal I added some low-fat cilantro pesto and sweet and spicy chipotle sauce to the rice (a Whole Foods find!) as well as a couple of slices of avocado to the mix. The pita bread in the front of the picture (also an impromptu Whole Foods buy) was quite a treat-- it was stuffed with lentils and spices and tasted incredible with a dab of the pesto and spicy chipotle sauce on top. Sadly, they don't make it here on the East Coast-- I practically tore apart our Whole Foods trying to find it! .

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Another version of my roasted veggie dinner salad-- topped with mango salsa and cashews.

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The lighting is rather harsh here, but this is the typical scene from our nightly patio dinners. Eating outside reminds me of family summers down the Cape...I can't wait for June to get here already!

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Another roasted veggie salad with spicy cilantro rice.

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A close-up of my mango salsa veggie salad.

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If I ever opened up a cupcake store-front, THIS is what I'd imagine it would look like. I mean, how adorable is this place?! The boyfriend and I stumbled upon the bakery (called Casey's Cupcakes) while shopping at Fashion Mall. Obviously I had to take a closer look...;)

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Not vegan, but this cake is so pink and girly I could die.

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CHEAT ALERT!!! Wouldn't you know...a VEGAN cupcake . This is possibly the BEST vegan cupcake I have ever tasted-- and I don't even like chocolate cake! The frosting was absolutely PERFECT (boyfriend agreed). Now, if only I could have smuggled a few more on the plane ride home...

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Here's a shot of the interior. Check out the colorful cupcake display!

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Okay, so I promise I did manage to purchase some non-edible souvenirs to take home from California. I'm a sucker for inspirational quotes and messages, so when I saw this bracelet at an adorable shop called Laurenly Boutique I had to snatch it up. After all, every now and then we should all remind ourselves that we're beautiful-- inside and out .

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I also picked up an infinity knuckle ring (all the kids are doing it, right??).

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After a restless night of traveling home from California, my body was craving some healthy post-flying fuel. I made some almond cocoa chia pudding topped with coconut and honey roasted cashews to properly fuel up after a loooong flight and relaxing trip.

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While I’ll gladly eat West Coast food any day, I’m still an East Coast girl at heart. Keep an eye out for a future post where I’ll share some of my favorite vegan hot spots around the Boston area. Who knows where my next adventure will take me…

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